Halfblood Prince Alternate Ending
by darlingdraco1
Summary: Huge spoilers, don't read if u haven't finished the book. My alternate ending to Halfblood Prince.
1. Chapter 1

What if Draco had helped Dumbledore instead of just standing there in Chapter 27 of Half-Blood Prince? What would have changed? Would Dumbledore have survived? Here's my alternate ending to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

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**"Malfoy was showing less resolution than ever. Her looked terrified as he started into Dumbledore's face, which was even paler, and rather lower that usual, as he had slid so far down the rampart wall."**

Looking about him, the blonde Slytherin's dull gray eyes burst into life as he turned away from Dumbledore, his wand arm becoming steadier. "Expelliarmus!" He shouted, the Death Eaters's wands flying from their hands and crashing against the wall, shattering. Greyback leapt to his feet, pouncing at Draco, who shouted "Petrificus totalus" in time to keep the werewolf from landing on him.

The remaining Death Eaters started backing away slowly, now unarmed and frightened of the sixteen-year-old wizard before them. Looking at them, Draco body-bound them all and locked the astronomy tower door, hoping it would give him more time. He heard a thump from behind him and spun only to see that the headmaster was now collapsed, lying on the floor. Draco pocketed his wand and went over to Dumbledore.

"Get away from him, Malfoy," came an all too familiar voice.

"Potter, when'd you get here? Always the one to make an appearance when you're not needed nor wanted, aren't you?"

"I've been here the entire time, Malfoy. I've been hiding."

"And you're supposed to be the courageous one."

"Shut your mouth, Malfoy."

"I just saved his life."

"You were going to kill him."

"If you were here, Potter, you'd have realized that I wasn't going to do anything of the sort."

Harry seemed at a loss for words. Draco had him there; he never had actually done anything to hurt Dumbledore. In fact, Draco was right. He had just saved him. Sighing in defeat, Harry said, "Help me get him under my cloak, we'll get him to his office unseen." Malfoy looked at Harry skeptically, as Harry went and grabbed his cloak from the corner. "It's an invisibility cloak, Malfoy. I would have thought you would have seen one before." Harry laid it over Dumbledore, making sure he was completely covered then tapped him with his wand. "Locomotor Dumbledore," the body of the headmaster was now floating.

"Always the show off, aren't you, Potter?"

"Shut it Malfoy."

"So how do you propose we get you out of here? It's not normal for us to be buddy-buddy, you know."

"I'll run ahead, act like you're chasing me. We'll run to Dumbledore's office. The password is toffee éclairs. It'll probably close behind me. I'll keep Dumbledore floating, you just worry about not letting anything hit him."

"Always were Dumbledore's favorite, weren't you Potter? You even know the password to his office."

Harry remained quiet for several seconds before responding, "Malfoy, right now is not the time. We need to get moving." He unlocked the door and looked around, making sure there was no one on the steps. "Let's go." Harry took off at a sprint, keeping his want pointed at Dumbledore's invisible body floating in front of him.

Malfoy was genuinely impressed, but didn't let it show as he took off after Harry, shouting hollow threats and curses, missing him on purpose.

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Mmk… that's my start on my alternate ending… there'll b about 3 more chapters… that makes sense, since this is "Chapter 27" then theres 28-30 left... they're gunna b short, but I need to figure out how im gunna have all the stuff that happens in the book happen w/out having certain things happen… I know… confusing, but bare with me… and no, im not abandoning Par Amour… I just need to get this out of my system first…

HTT


	2. Chapter 2, Part 1

Chapter 28… and I think I forgot to mention that even less of this belongs to me than w/a normal fanfiction, considering im just changing things…

Thanks to reviewers WildTotodile and SaSush33, this story's first two reviews…

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Draco rounded the corner and heard Potter yell the password to Dumbledore's office. There was only one problem; he had no idea where the entrance was. Stopping in front of a stone gargoyle, Draco said "toffee éclair?" and jumped as the gargoyle moved aside, showing a revolving staircase. Draco rolled his eyes; _that makes sense_, he thought as he realized the gargoyle was shaped like a griffin.

Taking a relaxing breath, Draco entered the staircase and knocked on the door. "Potter, it's me. Let me in."

"Say the password, first."

"Don't play games with me, Potter."

"Say it, Malfoy."

"You even know it's me. Now let me in before I break down this door."

"You can't, it's magically enhanced so it can't be broken down."

"You're an ass Potter."

"I think that's nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"Open the damn door Potter."

"Fine," the door opened to reveal a circular room. Draco looked around and saw rare, silver magical tools dotting the tables. The portraits of past headmasters and mistresses were sleeping peacefully in their frames. He could see the stand where Dumbledore's phoenix normally sat and the sorting hat on its shelf behind a large, oak desk. "I put Professor Dumbledore upstairs. I was just about to call Madam Promfey." Draco jumped, he had forgotten during his survey of the room that Potter was even there.

"Alright, get to it then." Malfoy could hear the Gryffindor roll his eyes as he took some powder from the bowl near the fireplace and threw it in. He took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the headmaster's desk and waited.

"Madam Promfey?" There was a pause.

"I'm in the headmaster's office, he's hurt." Another pause.

"He's in his bedchamber, I---" Yet another pause.

"See you in a bit then," Harry took his head out of the first place and shook the soot from his hair. "She said she'd be here in a minute, she just needed to finish up with Bill Weasley. Apparently your friend Greyback attacked him. At least he won't be a full werewolf though, since it's not the full moon."

"First off, Greyback was not here on my invitation. He snuck in with the other death eaters. Second, why would I care what happened to any Weasley? And third, I need to find a way back up to the astronomy tower before one of the other death eaters or Snape does."

"Why? We got Professor Dumbledore here didn't we? And why would I let you leave now? You might bring a death eater up here and leave me and Professor Dumbledore for dead. And why would you care if Snape found them?"

"Potter, you're really dense, you know that? I wouldn't have saved your ass if I was just going to let it die now. I need to go back to the astronomy tower to obliviate the death eaters I bound because otherwise they'll know I saved Dumbledore and turned on the Dark Lord. I'm already on a death threat for myself and my family; I don't need him thinking I went traitor on him. And Snape isn't working for Dumbledore. I know you all think he is, but he isn't."

"He's part of the Order, has been for ages—"

"This is war, Potter. He's playing double agent. I need to find a way to make it look like I did what I was supposed to. I need to get back to the astronomy tower. You wait here for Madam Promfey and help her with Dumbledore. I'll do what I need to do."

"Wait, before you go," Harry ran up the stairs and came back a minute later with his cloak. "Take this, but be careful with it. It'll get you back to the astronomy tower unseen. If on your way back to the tower, Hermione stops you, don't be alarmed, I'm going to get a hold of her."

"You guys still have those coins, don't you?"

"Of course we do."

"That Granger is too smart for her own good."

"You don't have to live with her."

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Well, that's part one of chapter 28… so actually, there will probably be about 5 more chapters after this, cuz im going to break 28-30 into 2 parts each.

HTT


	3. Chapter 2, Part 2

Part 2 of chapter 28… I'm actually kinda surprised at all the attention this is getting… I guess since its HBP, every1 is kinda itching for stuff about it…

Oh, and thanx to all my reviewers, even if u don't like the whole Draco-goes-light concept, ur all telling me that the writing is at least good, so im happy with just that…

Another thing, if u have it in ur heart, could u pop over and look at my other stuff too? It'd b much appreciated! I'm gunna add to Par Amour sometime in the next three days, but my social life is starting to pick up again… love ya all…

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Draco slipped on the cloak and ran silently as he could down the stairs, back past the gargoyle, and into the crossfire. He couldn't believe he was doing this. All the work he had put into getting the Death Eaters into the castle, now he was throwing it all away because his old, senile headmaster promised him and his family protection? Protection that he might not even get if the old fool dies? He continued through the halls, not stopping to watch and see if his peers were surviving or not, and not really caring. This was still about him, and he still needed to get back to the top of the Astronomy Tower before Snape did. 

He flew through the halls; cutting the time it took to get to the headmaster's office easily in two now that he wasn't chasing Potter. He reached the Astronomy Tower and took out his wand, not daring to take off the prized invisibility cloak. Reaching for the door, which he could have swore they left open in their haste, Draco's heartbeat sped up. What would he find beyond the door? Had Snape beat him to the tower? Did Snape even know to come to the tower? _Of course Snape knows to come to the bloody tower…_ Was the Mudblood Granger behind the door? Potter had said that he was going to call Granger. Was that was awaiting him? _Only one way to find out, isn't there? _He asked himself and he pushed open the door.

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Hermione felt a dull heat coming from her back pocket as she rounded a corner on the third floor corridor. Reaching in and pulling out her D.A. coin, she saw a message inscribed. MALFOY NEEDS HELP… GO TO ASTRONOMY TOWER… _This whole bloody year Harry's swearing on his life that Malfoy is up to something horrible, and now he's expecting me to go and help him? I'll never understand that boy. _Deciding it was best not to argue with him via coin, Hermione turned around and went the opposite direction, back toward the Great Hall, hoping that she wouldn't be caught too heavily in the crossfire as she sent a message back to Harry. I'M ON IT.

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Harry paced back and forth behind the headmaster's desk. Madam Promfey had arrived moments before and shooed him out of the headmaster's rooms and into the office. Having gotten Hermione's response seconds ago, he had one less thing to worry about. Hermione would take care of Malfoy; she'd make sure nothing went wrong. Even if he hadn't switched, she'd make sure to have him bound and tied and taken care of. She was smart, that witch was. Harry started going over Quidditch plays in his head, not wanting to think of what would happen if Madam Promfey couldn't help Professor Dumbledore. If he had been too late… if they had taken too much time…

Harry suddenly realized that if Dumbledore died on school grounds because of an attack on the school, they might close the school. He also realized that he didn't particularly care if they reopened the school. He had a job to do now. He couldn't spend the entire year at school, not when he had Horcruxes to find and an evil lord to overthrow. Suddenly, NEWTs seemed the least of his problems. Passing his end of the year exams didn't matter as much. All he knew was that he had two worlds depending on him, one knowingly and one unsuspecting. They both needed him to take down Voldemort. Slowly, Harry lowered his head into his hands. _Merlin… Why did I have to be put through this? Why did Voldemort have to pick me? Why not Neville? Why can't I just have a normal life, one where I can peacefully enjoy life with my girlfriend and best friends? One where my parents weren't murdered by a madman, forcing me to live with horrible relatives… Where my godfather was still alive… Where my mentor wasn't slowly dieing in the room above me because of a poison I force-fed him. _He sighed in defeat as he slowly heard the song of a phoenix in the distance.

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So? Wutcha think? I'm not sure I like my last paragraph… I had some trouble sticking to the story and not going off on a fanfiction tangent… hmmm… I'm still trying to figure out how to put Snape's betrayal into this… hmm… I shall think… 

Love ya'll!

HTT


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